Capacity building of local stakeholders
EPIC activities are conducted in collaboration with stakeholders -from local to national level- to provide opportunities for capacity building in parallel to project implementation. Capacity building activities serve 2 purposes: 1) they allow the communities to be trained to use the local techniques again and 2) they help raise awareness and strengthen knowledge of partners and local governments on ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change more broadly.
The creation of a capacity building plan for communities/stakeholders is key. It provides them with an effective, realistic and operational planning tool for trainings. The content of the training plan are evaluated and adjusted annually. The trainings undertaken so far include:
1) Training modules for villagers on (i) ANR, (ii) management of tree nurseries and (iii) salted land recovery techniques (in partnerships with scientists). After the trainings, practical sessions are organized to ensure that communities took ownership of these techniques.
2) Trainings for local governments (municipality and department levels) and stakeholders on ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change and disaster risk reduction
Early assessment of capacities and needs through regular discussions with communities and stakeholders, to ensure that the resources provided answer to their needs
- Adapting the content of the training to the audience, inviting relevant speakers and using relevant examples for raising the attention of people
- Planning for field visits to see the direct application of the techniques and to allow for a better understanding of the activities
- Planning for follow up actions to ensure that the activities are implemented based on the agreement made during training
Capacity building of local communities and partners is key for allowing them to implement, advocate and preserve good practices on a longer term.
- The use of traditional practices coupled with capacity building on agricultural techniques and knowledge sharing has proven effective for enabling communities to develop and implement adaptation strategies effectively.
- The trainings on ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation gave to all the stakeholders a better understanding of the approach used throughout the project